Thinkpads Forum

Obviously the SXGA+ mod is fairly involved, and there is a large risk of damaging the display if done incorrectly.

A few reliability type questions, with regards to the X6x (non-s)
- How does the display hold up over time, e.g. with pressure bearing down on the lid while stored in a travel bag etc.?
- After metal frame removal, is there enough rigidity in the bezel and rear display cover to stop torsion etc.?
- Can you treat it like any other normal thinkpad, or do you have to treat it more carefully?


Original documents I refer to:
https://ithinkpad.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/x6xipsguide/

https://translate.google.com.au/transla ... rev=search

I have a cable from i.thinkpad (the author of the conversion guide) that I never used if you decide to perform the mod.

IMO the cable is the weak point of the mod. One who undertook the mod had image stability issues after a few months due to a flaky cable.

axur-delmeria wrote:IMO the cable is the weak point of the mod. One who undertook the mod had image stability issues after a few months due to a flaky cable.

Much appreciated. I've been investigating cables and I haven't found reports of a reliable or sturdy looking one off the shelf as yet, hopefully someone might chime in.

xsixt wrote:

axur-delmeria wrote:IMO the cable is the weak point of the mod. One who undertook the mod had image stability issues after a few months due to a flaky cable.

Much appreciated. I've been investigating cables and I haven't found reports of a reliable or sturdy looking one off the shelf as yet, hopefully someone might chime in.

I sent you a PM with photographs of the cable that I purchased from i.thinkpad. There is no "off-the-shelf" cable.

You can get an adapter from taobao that you plug the regular LCD cable into, the other end of which ends up inside the actual SXGA+ display. Here is the link. Of course you may need a proxy site like yoybuy.com to purchase from taobao.

For a pic and an excellent guide to doing the mod, go to the german thinkpad site. Here is an image from said site of how the cable fits.

I did the mod yesterday (using a boe hydis .....100 panel). The result? Utter disaster

I had prepared for months, having the converter cable that i bought long ago (from i.thinkpad). Long story short. I believe that i did manage to rupture the panel somehow when i cut off the "ears", even tough i tried to be very careful. After assembling it, the screen lit up but with a display that had a "crack" in the middle of it (unevenly). Bummer.

my03 wrote:I believe that i did manage to rupture the panel somehow when i cut off the "ears", even tough i tried to be very careful. After assembling it, the screen lit up but with a display that had a "crack" in the middle of it (unevenly). Bummer.

That sounds like my mod attempt.
What tool did you use to cut the ears?

For the plastic ears - a small wire cutter. For the metal parts, a very small metal saw



and yes, i was very careful

Well sh*t, that's what I used back then, because I was working late at night and didn't want to bring out my Dremel and disturb the neighbors.

I should've told the whole story in an earlier post in this thread (I wrote about it in a much older thread). Might have saved your screen.

LOL,

well, i thought that using those tools gently would do the trick. So the big question really: How did you guys do it (well, not me and axur-delmeria obviously....)? What tools did you use?

Another thing i noticed (described elsewhere as well) is that that panel leaves this ugly gap at the top of the bezel. How (if you did) did you solve that issue?

br

IIRC a Dremel (or any rotary tool) was used in the guide I read back then. Most likely, it's an old thread in this forum, I just don't want to look for it (still hurts when I remember).

I can still attempt the mod, but not on an SXGA+ screen. There's two battered X61 Tablets with XGA screens in storage. Granted, they're PVA LCDs and not IPS/AFFS, but they have excellent viewing angles and much better colors compared to the non-Tablet TN LCDs.

I'm not inclined to go through with it though-- I'm more interested turning one into a portable LCD monitor in a Thinkpad chassis, then cram in a Thinkpad USB keyboard as well... but only if/when the Tablet's system board conks out.

Then again, this being a Thinkpad, the screen might give out well before the board.

Something like this should do the trick: 3/4" Diamond Cutoff disks for Dremel
10 Discs Size (18mm. Aprox. 3/4" inch) Carbon Steel Diamond Wheel Blades Dremel Rotary Cutting Tool Accessories
With 2 Mandrel Arbor Cutting Off Disc 10pcs Tool

The same/current wheel in my Dremel has been used for over 70 FrankenPads and other mods, and is still going strong.

For cutting off big eyelets from e.g. a 15.4" Sharp screen (from Dell, for T61/T500/R500 etc.) I use Wiss M3 Aviation Shears

They are reliable. I've bought two from forum members. Both had had considerable use before I bought them, but have worked reliably for me over an extended period.

fatpolomanjr wrote:You can get an adapter from taobao that you plug the regular LCD cable into, the other end of which ends up inside the actual SXGA+ display. Here is the link.

That link isn't the adapter, it's the whole cable. I've seen the adapter you're talking about, but I can't find the link.

Has anyone here used the said adapter, instead of a modded cable?

my03 wrote:well, i thought that using those tools gently would do the trick. So the big question really: How did you guys do it (well, not me and axur-delmeria obviously....)? What tools did you use?

Another thing i noticed (described elsewhere as well) is that that panel leaves this ugly gap at the top of the bezel. How (if you did) did you solve that issue?
br

Well put, this sort of information would be a really good contribution to this thread... what not to do, e.g. sawing gently. what to use, e.g. a dremel. There are just too many areas to get caught on, and this is just too good of a mod to miss out on.

Sorry to hear, it sounds like you were really careful.. I cringe every time I hear of a broken SXGA+ panel

xsixt wrote:That link isn't the adapter, it's the whole cable. I've seen the adapter you're talking about, but I can't find the link.

That's it. Trust me. I bought the same exact thing. In fact, I thought it was the cable when I purchased; imagine my disappointment when what I received was too short and I could not figure out how to use it. It wasn't until I read through the german guide that I realized what it was I purchased.

fatpolomanjr wrote:

xsixt wrote:That link isn't the adapter, it's the whole cable. I've seen the adapter you're talking about, but I can't find the link.

That's it. Trust me. I bought the same exact thing. In fact, I thought it was the cable when I purchased; imagine my disappointment when what I received was too short and I could not figure out how to use it. It wasn't until I read through the german guide that I realized what it was I purchased.

I see, my apologies. Certainly looks like a full cable though!

Here's the original link (adapter) I had in mind. My thought was if you could use this adapter with the stock cable, the flat ribbon cable would be a better fit and more reliable than a custom made harness with round cables. Though I think I read somewhere there was an issue with length...

http://www.pchub.com/uph/laptop/503-782 ... erter.html

Done this mod years ago (but on XGA LCD). With original adapter (cable) from i.thinkpad, but i have shorten it (unsoldered each wire - cut in half - and soldered it back). Why - aesthetic feeling rather than EMI countermeasure.
All cutting was made with rotary tool like Dremel. After cutting "ears" have made some holes on edges and used 2 small screws from old TN LCD to screw to Thinkpad hinges and of course finally used adchesive tape too. I don't remember how but i remember that i have cut some mm on upper edge of LCD's metal frame. Without it right top corner haven't fitted well.

fatpolomanjr wrote:Here's the original link (adapter) I had in mind.

I don't know if this adapter is electrically correct, but phisically not. Connector on lcd have moved some cm to the center of the LCD so this movement must be compensated. I think that wrapping original LCD cable is not very good idea.

PS
May be in near future i'll do this mod again on SXGA+ LCD (when X62 come to me;)

Why cut off the tabs? Seems easier to cut slots into the lid.

Yesterday I attempted to install the SXGA+ panel to my X61.
Cutting off the "ears" was a real PITA, and in the end I did end up cracking the screen from all that prying those metal ears.
I had a Dremel but the bit used to hold in place the cut-off disks was missing and also didn't hold tight any tool attached to it.

I think this mod is not very easy to do, the odds of breaking something in the LCD is high.

This is the screen I bought:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/HV121P0 ... 0.0.8ynFiR

and this is the converter cable:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1400-10 ... 0.0.8ynFiR

I connected the screen, and besides from seeing the damaged on the right side of the screen, the image was jittery and moving up and down, besides of having the image duplicated about 3/4 down the screen.
Should I also use another cable?

I found out that with the stock cable the way it is arranged it is impossible to have the ThinkLight connected since the length of the cable is not the same.

All in all, I'd think this mod is not worth the effort in that you can mess up the LCD.
As much as I like the X61 form factor, I'd think is time to move on.

Might pull the trigger on a X62 if it's still possible, but still have doubts on the durability of the electronics particularly on the motherboard.

agarza wrote: ↑

Sun May 07, 2017 10:20 am

Yesterday I attempted to install the SXGA+ panel to my X61.
Cutting off the "ears" was a real PITA, and in the end I did end up cracking the screen from all that prying those metal ears.
I had a Dremel but the bit used to hold in place the cut-off disks was missing and also didn't hold tight any tool attached to it.

All in all, I'd think this mod is not worth the effort in that you can mess up the LCD.
As much as I like the X61 form factor, I'd think is time to move on.

From what I've read on here - I think the only way to safely remove the tabs is with a dremel and a cutoff wheel, it seems to be just too risky taking off the metal tabs any other way.